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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Stak(e, Staik, v.¹ Also: staike, stayk, stea(i)k. P.t. and p.p. also stakked. [MDu. staken to found, establish, settle; fix, secure, etc. Cf. mod. US Eng. stake to back financially, support (Webster), to furnish with money or supplies (OED Suppl., which, however, associates the usage with Stake v. to wager). Ultim., f. as Stak(e n.¹]

1. tr. Of a person: To secure, establish; furnish, provide for; satisfy (persons (in respect of) their needs, rights, deserts, etc.). Const. in, to a place, property, with, by goods, property, etc.(1) 1513 Doug. xii iii 72.
Eik haue I not stakyt thé Intill a party of the hevyn 1527 Prot. Bk. J. Foular II 247.
Quhill he staik the said Archibald in a steding of viij oxin tilth 1549–50 Breadalbane Doc. No. 71.
Ay and quhill the said Colyne … staik and prowyde thame in sum rowmes and stedingis 1562 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 30.
That the saids mansses may be assignit to the Quenis G. thrid part, and therafter that the saids ministers … may be staiked and helped to the samein, for there comoditie 1562–3 Rec. Earld. Orkney 116.
Thaye salbe fyrst staykit in the sax melis and fowyr settenis in Ronaldiswo 1614 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 43a (6 Dec.).
The sessioune permittis that he & his houshold sall first be staikit in that place(2) 1548 Elgin Rec. I 94.
Providing that the fremen staik the tovn and cuntre with stuiff on ane ressonable price 1559 Black Bk. Taymouth 202.
Ay and quhill the said Colyne … stayk thame with sum rowmis 1587 Edinb. Test. XVII 282b.
To staik Jonet my dochter … with the reddiest gudis & geir 1638 Henderson Serm. 2.
Cause to fear that the Lord stake us with blindness of mind & hardness of heart 1638 Henderson Serm. 189.
The hypocrite … stakes himself with the outward part in thy worship 1638 Johnston Diary I 380.
Aboundance of moneys … quherby the Lord hes staiked me

2. Of a thing, chiefly a commodity, also, an animal: To supply, provide for; be sufficient for, satisfy; to suit (persons in respect of their needs, rights, desires, etc.). Also with non-material subject. Also proverb. b. impers.(a) 1519 Reg. Panmure II 291.
Sa meikill feuale as may stak and stede tham 1561 Inverness Rec. I 61.
It sall not be lesum … to pak onne thairof [sc. fish] forder nor stakit thair howse(b) 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 287.
That the gentill men off the cuntray sall furnys … sa mony marttis mwtone quhytt and malt as the army thynkkis may staik tham 1551 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 613.
Sufficience of the samin that gudlie may staik the inhabitantis 1552 Dundee B. Ct. II 167 (1 July).
That scho baik na aitcaikis … to be sald to ony persone … but to staik hir self & serwandis within hir hous 1561 Peebles B. Rec. I 276.
That na coupparis by na mair meill nor he will turs away to staik him self on horsbak 1563 Edinb. B. Rec. III 171.
To tak of the beir samekle fyne Frenche blak as will staik the samin, and … samekill groffer claith as will suffice for ane vther beir a1568 Scott xi 32.
Ȝe suld considdir or ȝe taik thame That littill scheruice will nocht staik thame a1570-86 Maitl. F. 68/62.
For thay will waist mair wnder hand Nor ws weill staik may a1570-86 Maitl. F. 439/77.
This wikit meir sa weill thame staikis … Be thai anis montit on hir bak Thay think in thame thair is na lak 1576 Orkney Oppress. 59.
Hors and botis sufficient to staik him and his cumpanie 1577 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 70. a1578 Pitsc. I 368/5.
[He] caussit hir to … tak hir quhat staikis hir of claith of gould 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 363.
Alexander my sone hes ane pensioun of ane hundreth pund … quhilk will staik him for his barnis part of gude 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 48.
Be the … simple preaching of the word ye get faith; sa the simple word may staike you 1595 Skene in Misc. Stair Soc. I 146.
To buy … vesell … sa mony as micht convenientlie furneis and staik thair maiesties keichingis(c) 1578 Inverness Rec. I 265.
Steaik 1579 Inverness Rec. I 267.
[He] … is convict in bying of talloun forder nor steakis his craftproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1422.
Tak na mair sturt nor staiks yow a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1443.
The tak may staik the person the vicar wil not have itb. 1581 Sat. P. xliv 193.
Sen furie cuikis, it may staik the ful veil The fyre to big, and scudle dischis clene

3. passive. To be provided for, etc. in senses 1 and 2 above. Also const. with, of.(1) 1513 Doug. vii v 48.
Ar thai not stakit at rest, and weil luge In the desirit sond of Tybris bay 1532–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 130.
That na unfremen by ony geir within our borrow rudis quhill our burgessis be staikit 1534 Linlithgow B. Ct. 5 Oct.
That na forstawaris … be fund byand ony stuf … quhill that it be present the mercat & the mercat stakit 1536 Linlithgow B. Ct. 6 Oct.
That na creill man by buttir … to sell agane … quhill … that the nychtboris and huxstaris of the towne be sufficientlie stakit for the prouision thairof 1540 Aberd. B. Rec. I 174. 1547 Reg. Privy C. I 80.
The said abbot and his convent religious men be honestlie stakit and furnist 1563 Inverness Rec. I 106.
That ane of the officiaris … await on the mercat and cause ordour be keipit that thair throw honest men may be steakit, the dartht to be downe thringin 1571 Sempill in Sat. P. xxviii 89.
Rowpand for riches quhill all my barnis wer staikit a1578 Pitsc. I 306/14.
For quhene he had gottin Dunkell he wald haue had Coldinghame and could not be staikit sa bot quhene Hallierudhous waikit he wald haue it 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 167.
Staiket 1584 Waus Corr. 284.
I pray your lordship to send in the boys confirmatioun with lettres vpoun the decreit and your lordship sall haiff thankfull payment for the decreit … and send word quhair I salbe staikit and ressave payment 1586–7 Waus Corr. 382.
I … hes his hienes promeis that na precept sall pas quhill we be first staikit 1587 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 723.
No superplus to be made whill the ministers and schooles … be sufficiently staiked 1593 Edinb. B. Rec. V 87.
That the thesaurer [etc.] … tak upoun thame the setting … of the saids houssis … and that thai gif attendance that the commoun servands be first staiket 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V 235.
That thai ar many wayes evill staiket and servit in thair grittest misters and neids be the said sclaters(2) 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 187.
To be furnissit and stakit of the preces contenit in the statutis of the town 1562–3 Inverness Rec. I 97.
The inhabitantis … sufficientlie steakit wyth schone and buittis as accordis 1565–6 Reg. Privy C. I 426.
That thai, on no wayis, sell … wynis … unto the tyme thair Hienessis … erlis, lordis, and baronis be first stakit of thair necessaris thairof 1567 Crail B. Ct. 12 Oct.
Jhone Lummysden to be staykit of the radiest of the varis a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 302/30.
Thai … ar sa wrakit maid pure and nakit Fane to be stakit with watir caile a1578 Pitsc. I 163/18.
He wssit … the intertening of great horse and meiris quhairby thair ofspring might florisch so that he might be stakit in tyme of weiris with the samin 1580 Inverness Rec. I 284.
[He] sall succeid to the said maling … onles he be steakit wyth samekle of befoir 1604 Inverness Rec. II 28.
That thai sie the buith haldaris staickit of barkit ledder for maickinge vark thairof 1611 Dunblane Test. III 158b.
That … his lauchful bairnis be als weill staicket first of the reddiest frie guidis & geir

b. To be weill (best, worse) stakit, to be well, etc. provided for, suited, etc.; to be well, etc. off. a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 331/15.
Sum commownis that hes bene weill stakit Vnder kirkmen ar now all wrakit a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 46/1. 1572 Reg. Privy C. II 148.
That thay … remove thame selffis … to the cuntrie amangis thair freindis quhair thai may be best staikit 1595 Davidson Three Reformers 119.
They themselves are farre worse stakked … Nor when there was gude husbandmen 15… Crawford Mun. Invent. II 57 (1 April).
Your Lordship will nocht be weill staikit in the castell be resson of sa mony wandourisproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 386.
He is weill staikit thereben, that will neither borrow nor len

4. a. Of a person or persons: To perform (a task), supply (an enterprise), as workers. Also reflex., const. to the task. b. Of a thing: To provide (a person) with a task. c. passive, specif. Of a church, position within a church: To be provided (with a minister, preaching).a. 1602 Elphinstone Chart. 166.
Caus him … direct heir … sa mony servandis as will occupie a pan, for we haiff servandis that will staik ane off the pannis 1612 Lett. Eccl. Affairs I 298.
That he staiks so weil his place in his awne tymereflex. 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 61.
Item for ane laid of collis to the glassinwrycht that stakit him to the west windob. 1638 Henderson Serm. 34.
Man should trouble himself both with civil & spiritual affairs; for I am sure there is no back so strong but the charge of souls may stake him very well to put upon itc. 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xlii 162.
The preichouris … Ar far within twa hundreth men … The kirkis can not be stakit all … The Counsell hes thocht gude, thairfoir … With preiching for to staik the laif; And sa … Four kirkis till ane preichour to mak 1573 Davidson in Three Reformers 58.
Kirkis … that … hidderto hes stakit bene With ministeris 1581 St. A. Kirk S. 461.
His kirkis quhairfra he is takin if he be transportit be alsua stakit 1614 Lett. Eccl. Affairs I 328.
To see his rowme staicked with some godlie … man

5. a. To cause (a person) to marry upon (someone). b. passive. Of a person: To be married with (someone).a. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4105.
Quhen ȝe me staikit vpon sa auld ane stick, I wald but dout ȝe had me buryit quickb. 1581 Edinb. Test. X 192.
I leue to Jonet Lauerik my dochter fourtie pundis and ordinis the said Johne Thomesoun to haif the keping thairof quhill sche be stakit with ane honest partie

6. intr. To suffice. 1572 Sempill in Sat. P. xxx 213.
This Tragedie may staik, to tell the Lordis … The thrid of Marche was worthy Methwen slane 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 640.
To Londoun Lowrie tuke the geat, With traine mycht staik for his esteat 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 27/145.
Abusers, staikes it not to lurk in lust, without ye [etc.]proverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1472.
The clink of my silver may staik for the smel of your rost